


Hear The Drums of the City Rain

by howcomeyoubehavethisway-writes (ReditusIgnotum)



Series: Heaven For Everyone [1]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Reincarnation, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 17:45:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReditusIgnotum/pseuds/howcomeyoubehavethisway-writes
Summary: Melina leaned forward, her voice softening with a gentle lilt. "Well, I'm currently working in art school.""Oh, what are you working on?" The change of subject softened Regina's gaze ever so slightly."Surrealist piece. The wonder of Dali's work never fades with time." Melina declares proudly. "Speaking of time, the piece that I am hoping to create has an intriguing topic I think should be explored a lot more.""Oh?""I'm sure you're all familiar with the term 'Reincarnation', right?"Joanna was certain that Regina exerted a lot more force than necessary in cutting her meal in half.Or, a reincarnation AU.





	Hear The Drums of the City Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Fic Title taken from "Brother" by Gerard Way, and series title taken from the song of the same name by The Cross. 
> 
> Yep, here it is. A reincarnation AU! This is a series, so I do plan on expanding more on this universe. If anyone has any questions about this universe and all, feel free to ask away.

Magdalena remembers when she was just a day shy of 10 years, and Regina was 12.

She was just curious, really. Her little fingers sifted through the countless piles of vinyl that their parents treasured in the living room. Just a glance at a particular cover awash with dark blue and painted with shadows. A statue with a fist raised to the sky, three figures looking ahead- then she _remembers._

Feelings, words that don't make sense to her little mind- at least, not yet. All she knows is that some sort of pain crushes her chest, has been for a very long time. It doesn't leave, it doesn't stop, it's still there and she wants it to go go go-

"Mags?" 

She doesn't realize that sobs have been wracking her frame for the past few minutes until a pair of arms wrap around her, shielding her with warmth. 

_Regina. Her sister._

Little by little, the world returns to her. Tears blurred her vision, but she could still see Reg's red t-shirt, now stained with tears. She's still a mess, still can't quite understand what Reg is whispering to her, but it anchors her to the ground and loosens the weight on her chest. 

A shaky inhale, and she looks up. 

For a moment, she wonders why her sister's eyes aren't blue.

* * *

They grow up, side by side. Thick as thieves, true sisters. 

(The first time she thinks of this, Magdalena notices that a different word floats up to her head, equal in relation, but- It stings in her chest.)

On her 13th birthday, Reg and their parents take her to the city proper, to go wherever she likes. A music store with a dingy, flickering neon sign above the door catches her eye. 

They've never been here before, but the air settles with a familiar hum in her mind. Her fingers itch to move along to the music blaring from the speakers. Maybe it was from one of dad's old vinyls. 

That's when she finds her path headed towards the guitar section. 

Regina doesn't realize it until she hears a familiar riff pierce the air behind her. It was _too_ familiar. Not through an old recording playing from the speakers, or through the hands of another confident teenager, but from the one person she knew would always shake the heavens with that sound. 

When she rushes over, she finds Magdalena caught in a trance, a blue-bodied guitar in her grasp. Her fingers dance across the frets, effortlessly unleashing a ballad from oh-so-long-ago. Regina wants to call her name, stop her before the years catch up and throw her off her rhythm. Luckily, Magdalena brings it to an end just as the words climb through her throat. 

She stares up at her, wide-eyed. The guitar is large for her current frame, and yet it fits. Someone claps from behind them. Regina hopes they haven't summoned a crowd. Flashes of light sear into her memory and leave her seeing phantom stars. They strengthen her resolve to get them out of here.

"Looks like Magdalena might be a rock star!" The other audience member was only their father. Any other potential customers were off in the opposite end of the store. 

He places a hand on the budding guitarist's shoulder. "D'you want a guitar?" 

She nods her head rather furiously. He chuckles and steers her towards the cashier.

Magdalena turns around to give Regina a wide smile. Her voice shakes as she tries to hold back her laughter in a conspiratorial whisper, "Rock star!"

As if it was just some silly inside joke between them, given their past history and all. As if it didn't chain Regina's heart to a heavy metal ball and sent it plummeting down to her stomach.

She does her best to give her a thumbs up.

* * *

That guitar was like a huge, puke yellow middle finger in a poster shoved into her face. 

It was in their bedroom, resting against the wall next to Magdalena's bed, easily within her reach for her to reach out and start strumming some exercises in the morning. It's a relief she never plays _their_ songs, despite the fact that she started off her career with one. Nevertheless, it sprays icy cold water on Regina's face every day. 

She knows they're done with grudges and petty sibling squabbles (which was ironic). They haven't had one ever since Regina's working memory kicked in. So, she wasn't going to spend these mornings sulking and giving her sister the cold shoulder for something that wasn't her fault. But, she wasn't going to tell the whole truth, either, especially since that was the very thing from which she was planning to steer her away. 

"You're always glaring at her as if she's the devil incarnate." Damn, she beat her to it. The fact that Magdalena also refers to her guitar as a _she_ packs in quite a punch. 

Regina frowns at the brown mop of hair towering over her in her perfect position for a midday nap. She sighs. _Damn, I was hoping to convert some short term memory into long term for the exam and all._

"I'm not going to burn it if that's what you're asking." Oh, she is definitely going to toss it into a dumpster fire once she gets the chance. "I'm just scared that it's gonna be… too familiar for you."

"Too familiar for me?" Magdalena's voice nearly climbs to an incredulous and high octave. She leans back, curling a strand behind her ear as she mulls it over. "Oh, because of the past?"

"Yes."

"No, it doesn't hurt me at all. None of our… regrets-" She purses her lips at her own choice of words. "-can stop me from pursuing my dream and what I actually love to do." 

Regina blows a strand of hair out of her face. "Alright." 

"Please. Let me do this." Magdalena's glare has shed some sharpness, replaced by a pleading look. 

Regina crosses her arms, and just nods. Given by what she had seen so far, she was right. It didn't hurt her, and it was something she truly wanted to pursue in this life. 

It's been a number one no-no of hers to put a damper on happiness.

Even if she finds her sister, a few weeks later, staring at the laptop screen with a vacant glaze to her eyes. She simply lifts the guitar by the strap off of her neck and gently places it somewhere else. An arm wraps around Magdalena's shoulders as the other reaches out to close the tab of a video. 

When that arm encircles her, Magdalena mutters. "I'm sorry, Rog." 

Regina ignores the pain that knifes through her chest, lets the frustration fuel her embrace as she whispers back, "Please, don't be." 

Happiness. She'll storm through a million hells to make sure Magdalena never loses it.

* * *

Scream and call her a hypocrite if you must, but Regina finds herself at ease with the drums. Look, her own memories never brought her pain or jolted her awake, screaming in the night. It was alright for her. Like Magdalena, she never opted to play any of those songs, no matter how much her fingers poised to start it off. (How the hell does muscle memory even carry over in spirit?) She's been playing since a year after that fateful trip to the music store. 

The not-helpful part of her brain informs her that it's almost a hundred years since some drummer spotted a poster, auditioned for some band, and helped kickstart something big. 

Especially when she finds herself staring at yet another poster calling for any eager instrumentalists. 

_Looking for a bassist, a guitarist, and a drummer to start a band._ The yellow poster read. _Call MD._

"I want to do this." Magdalena all but shoves the phone into Regina's face. 

They're in college now, with Magdalena studying biology (which never fails to bring a smile to her face), and Regina settling with psychology. Her past knowledge, fragmented as it is, only brushed the surface of this specific field. So, it would be pretty interesting to delve into what it has to offer.

She reads the words onscreen over and over again. _A bassist, a guitarist, and a drummer._ If they sign up, and if this MD is an earnest listener, they've already got three-quarters of a band. Should be simple, right? No, not if you have an almost hundred-year old cloud looming over you and raining hell on your sister. 

Said sister seems to consider her silence a moment of hesitation. "If you're _that_ worried, you can audition with me, too."

Regina chews on her bottom lip. "As long as you want it, as long as it doesn't hurt you, we're in."

Magdalena sighs, but the smile shines brightly on her lips. "Yes, mother."

Another fragment races to the top of Regina's head. Yellow, the dark cabin of an airplane, something- someone panting with their head resting on her- his shoulder. Those words, those same words, uttered with the same intention of a joke, only weaker- much, much weaker.

_I need you to stand up so we can get you out of here. Can you do that for me?_

She really hopes they're not making a mistake.

* * *

The moment they laid eyes on MD, the world seemed to freeze. 

Regina's heart was pounding, as if anticipating- for what, she didn't know. Magdalena seemed to be facing the same situation, given her concerned glance. Yet, she marches on, tension set in her jaw as she held her head up high. Regina had no choice but to follow, the large bag that contained all her drums rolling behind her. 

The mysterious MD texted them the address to a cafe just a block away from their college, _De Reditu._

_There's a function room in here._ They said _. First door on your left._ Oh, they were serious about this whole thing, which is something Regina has come to admire about this MD.

There's a lot of things Regina has come to admire about them, actually-or, what her jumble of memories seem to think is MD. 

One blink, and they're standing in the doorway of a cozy cafe. Another blink, and the door to the function room (helpfully labelled with a golden plate) is right in front of them. They're about to knock when they hear a muffled voice talking behind that door.

Something in the back of her mind screams and rings every single warning bell in her head. She wants to step closer and know why, but she first lets her hand brush against Magdalena's in a silent reminder. Magdalena only whispers, "We're not backing down, now." 

"-Kam," The voice continues."Thank you for doing this. This is really important to me...Say hello to Titania for me, alright? Thank you, bye!" 

_Knock. Knock. Knock._ No turning back.

The knob clicks from the inside, and the door opens, revealing a woman with a sweet smile on her face, dark hair with ends brushing the tips of her shoulder and framing her head with bangs. "You must be here for the audition."

The bells are roaring in her head now. Nevertheless, Regina manages to reply amidst the mental noise. "Yep. I'm Regina, and that's Mags." 

"Pleasure to meet you." Her gaze flitters between them. "I'm Melina Dhawan." 

The bells drop all at once. 

Melina- It was too much of a coincidence, coupled with the hell that her memories have been raining down on her these past few minutes. That name- Hell, that intonation sent her mind reeling, careening backwards into a life from which she spent her days trying to distance herself.

"I-" Her own damn voice sounds muffled, lost in the haze. "I'm assuming you'll be singing lead, then?" 

She already knew the answer. At the very least, it softened the blow that came with the words, "That's correct. Well, if you like singing backup-or even lead a few songs yourself, if you want, go ahead. I won't be hogging the role all the way through, don't worry." 

_He'll get through this, Rog. Don't worry-_

_I'll be fine, don't worr-_

"Oh, fab." She really hopes her attempts to distract herself aren't _that_ obvious. Magdalena arches her eyebrows at her, as if to say _Are you sure_ I'm _the one who needs to back down?_ Nevertheless, she gives her a small smile. 

"Well, why don't you two come in?" Melina steps aside and pulls the door along with her. "Since you two are auditioning together, maybe you can both play a piece?"

"Yeah, that would be great." It's Magdalena who speaks up, nodding her head with a soft smile. She seems to be handling this a lot better than Regina. 

The room is perhaps a few feet larger than the smallest lecture hall. Nothing except for a few amps stand above the white-tiled floor. The scuffle of their shoes squeak and echo into the room. It may look small, but it's certainly capable of channeling something huge into the air. And they're about to prove it.

It takes a while before Regina is ready, her drums all set up and tuned. It doesn't slip her mind that Melina watches her adjust the rods with something akin to fondness and curiosity in her eyes. Unlike those who looked at her (and him) like she was stealing some expensive jewelry from Her Royal Majesty herself. It reminded her of tiny, inquisitive eyes and small feet clambering up to a drum riser, and of someone looking up with pride in his eyes, the upper half of a mic stand in his hands-

"Why don't we play something classic?" She jolts herself out of the haze with those words. They don't bring her that much pain, but the ache is enough to pull her away from the present. That shouldn't happen, not right now.

Magdalena looks at her with an inquisitive gaze, to which she responds with an easy grin. "You up for some 'Smoke on the Water', Mags?" 

Her sister strums for good measure before she replies. "Yeah." 

Melina sits down on a stool before them, and nods. Then, they're off. 

They fall into an easy, familiar rhythm, honed by years of jamming together in their shared bedroom, and, as much as she doesn't really care to admit, by decades of performing from a previous lifetime. Something still aches at the bottom of her heart, expecting the floor beneath her feet to shake with the familiar thrum of a bass. Well, the emotional aspect ached for _someone_ rather than an instrument. 

Nevertheless, their connection still holds strong. They nod at each other before verse changes into chorus, and chorus shifts into bridge. Her heart sings with every precise strike of a drum, as she mutters the timing to herself, maintaining that steady beat until the last note hangs in the air. 

Silence reigns after the song ends, mostly because Melina still hasn't picked her jaw up from the ground.

"Wow." She manages to choke out. "That was… That was brilliant!" 

The joy of her laughter, alive, vibrant, permeates the air. 

Regina can't help but smile. "Uh, thanks, mate." 

Magdalena turns in her direction and beams, teeth and all. 

Melina rises from her rickety seat, profuse 'thank you's spilling out of her mouth followed by her promise to call them within the week if they've got it. 

"You know," she adds once they have the door open wide. "bands also need a connection among its members. I think we can have that." 

The walk back to Regina's car is silent. It isn't until they both have their seat belts buckled when Magdalena starts laughing, a full-on, hearty laugh. 

"That's-" She squeezes in between wheezes. "That's-"

Regina turns the key in its slot and smiles at her from the dashboard window. "I know, Mags. I can't believe it either." 

This actually sounds like a good idea. 

* * *

Later that week, they bump into their future bassist. Literally. 

In her defense, Regina was in a rush- Well, Magdalena was in a rush and tugged on her hand as they swerved past incoming crowds because _Holy crap, they got the gig._ It just so happened that they- more specifically, Regina, accidentally swerved into someone's shoulder and sent them sprawling on the ground. 

"Shit!" Regina dropped to her knees right next to them, an arm already outstretched to help them up. 

The young woman's long brown hair was a mess of strands after the fall. When she held onto Regina's hand and hauled herself to her feet, yet another spike of memories flashed through Regina's head. 

_A disco ball hanging in the ceiling, the light bouncing and blinding him. Pulling on someone's hand, laughing, vision in a shaky haze._

_"C'mon, you've out-danced everyone on the dance floor. Let's get you home."_

"-okay! It's okay!" The woman's voice cut through the muddy haze in her mind. "I should be the one apologizing. I could have moved out of the way when I heard you-"

"No, no." Regina waved her hand. "I saw you first. I should have asked Mags here to slow down, or, well, I-" 

She glanced at the woman in question and spotted Magdalena watching the two of them throw apologies back and forth with an amused, _knowing_ smile on her lips. 

_Damn it, Mags._

"A-Anyway, you're probably late to some meeting. Sorry 'bout that." She pursed her lips.

The woman shook her head. "Oh no, it's alright. The one I'm meeting told me not to rush since I heard our bandmates are also coming in." 

Now, that was interesting. 

"Bandmates?" She prodded.

"Yeah, I just found out I got the gig as a bassist for this band." Her gaze darted back and forth between the two sisters. "Wait, are you two the bandmates we're also waiting for?" 

"With Melina?"

"Yeah!"

"How did you-" She exchanged glances with Magdalena. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." Their new bassist shrugged. She extended a hand. "I'm Joanna, by the way. Joanna Humphrey." 

They introduced themselves. Regina couldn't help but notice the excitement that radiated off of Joanna in waves. Of course, more than one person sharing the same emotion could only serve to amplify it. Their walk to _De Reditu_ was as energized as it was a few minutes ago, albeit without the fast pace that surely earned them a couple of glances. 

Melina's face lit up as she opened the door for their little trio. "I see that there's no need for me to introduce you to each other anymore. That's great." 

"Lucky coincidence." Joanna remarked. 

"Lucky coincidence, indeed." Melina turned to Magdalena and Regina. "Why don't you two go ahead and set up? We still have a few things left to sort out." 

Once the door shut close behind the two sisters and their footsteps receded, Melina turned to Joanna with a bright smile. "So, how does it feel?" 

A wider smile broke across the young bassist's face. "It's- A lot to describe, really. I'm excited and nervous and- It's really good to see you all again." 

Melina chuckles. A century may have passed, but there are a few things that remain unchanged in her family. She was glad to see the same, fiery fervor alight in Joanna's eyes, although this time they burned a brighter hue ever since they first met last week. This was a new beginning for them. 

"One thing you should know, Jo, before we head inside. I'm not really sure if the other two remember the past. Well, I never really got around to asking the question, but-Thought you should know." 

Joanna crossed her arms, eyebrows scrunched up in thought as she formulated some sort of plan. "Are we free to meet up sometime after today? Maybe we can have this discussion while we're all relaxed, or something like that." 

"Jo, you are a genius!" Melina's eyes widened in delight. "We can have a rehearsal-free day to ourselves right here! Just a day to catch up. I could try to break the news to them, ask them a question." 

"And I could… supplement to that." Joanna's voice lowered, embarrassment coloring her cheeks red. "I may or may not have found a few books. And read them, many, many times. The library at my college has a lot of stuff. It's how I found out." 

Melina nodded. "We have a plan."

* * *

Brunch was served for the four bandmates, in a booth tucked away in the corner. 

The day after their first rehearsal was quiet, a much needed respite from the lid-breaking energy pumping through their veins. Bit by bit, the cafe was becoming a second home. There were a few seats filled by students hoping for a place to write and study, but it wasn't enough to fill the air with buzzing chatter. It was perfect.

Joanna was surprised to find that Magdalena didn't request for an extra heap of greens sprinkled across her soup. A lot of things surprised her, really. Like the fact that their guitarist and drummer hadn't gone into a single argument about their tempo. And that Magdalena was actually the youngest out of them all. She stifled a chuckle at that fact.

Melina dubbed today a "metaphysical catching-up" session, a day to find out what their bandmates' new lives are up to, and hopefully break the news that this isn't their first lives in the first place. Naturally, the conversation steered into college, something that united the four of them in both of their lives, one way or another. 

They both decided that Melina would do most of the talking, which was fine. Joanna didn't really know what to say aside from "Holy crap, we're meeting again!" 

Melina drummed her fingers against the glass of orange juice in her grasp. "So, Magdalena, what are you studying?" 

"I study biology, actually." Magdalena grinned, a hand idly swirling her spoon across the clear liquid. "It's really interesting. I don't really have a solid plan for the future- I do have you guys- but, it's great to know more. There's a lot of revolutionary breakthroughs regarding diseases in the past century."

"I thought it was astrophysics." Joanna wondered aloud. _Oops._ She realized too late. Melina glanced in her direction with a small frown. 

Magdalena's grin fell for a split second, the corners raised up again in no time as she tentatively asked, "Why is that?" 

"Ah, I don't know. I thought I saw your name up in a poster for an astrophysics project. I just realized that was a graduate thing. Sorry, I was wrong." Joanna's eyes wandered the table as she scrambled for an answer. Regina had paused halfway through cutting a waffle pancake in half, staring up at her with slightly furrowed brows. The two looked confused, of that she's certain. 

But the air started to tense, as if an invisible curtain unfurled and divided Joanna from the two sisters. Regina's gaze hardened, not in a threatening way, but certainly out of vigilance. It was a familiar sight, something that was seldom directed in her way. That she hoped would never happen. 

Her instincts, or, well, her past self's instincts, screamed that they were hiding something. She pursed her lips in Melina's direction. The singer, thankfully, understood the message with a nod.

It was time to find out if they were all hiding the same thing. 

Melina leaned forward, her voice softening with a gentle lilt. "Well, I'm currently working in art school." 

"Oh, what are you working on?" The change of subject softened Regina's gaze ever so slightly. 

"Surrealist piece. The wonder of Dali's work never fades with time." Melina declares proudly. "Speaking of time, the piece that I am hoping to create has an intriguing topic I think should be explored a lot more." 

"Oh?"

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the term 'Reincarnation', right?"

Joanna was certain that Regina exerted a lot more force than necessary in cutting her meal in half. She swore she could hear the sole of someone's shoe tapping away against the tiled floor. 

"Um, yeah." It felt like another hundred years passed by before Regina replied. "It's the whole process of being born again after you die." 

Magdalena began to find the floor a much more interesting sight than her bowl of soup.

"Yes, exactly." Melina nodded. "Well, I've been- No more time for beating around the bush now. I believe that reincarnation is real, and in our past lives, we met each other." 

Magdalena's eyes chiseled holes through the floor as she backed in on herself. Her sister laid her knife on the side of the plate, eyes cautiously drifting to her every now and then. 

"You.." Regina begins with what sounds like an incredulous tone. "You think that we've met before?"

_Oh no, this was bad._ Joanna pursed her lips in thought. _Maybe they didn't know, so that means they needed convincing. And for convincing, you'll need evidence- That's it! Evidence!_

"I'll be right back." She cried out before she pounced out of the booth. She gave Melina a sheepish smile and jogged to the front door. She would miss most parts of the conversation, but hopefully she'll return in time to help it go smoothly. 

Melina sighs at Joanna's retreating figure, and returns to face Regina's questioning eyes. "Yes, yes I believe we have. Look, I've been having these… visions since I was young. Not the dreams kind, mind you, but they were familiar, as if they had all just happened yesterday. Which… they really haven't. I started understanding them a lot better as I grew older, and eventually I found exactly _what_ those visions were. _Who_ I was." 

They still said nothing. Melina continued, "What I'm saying is-"

"You used to be our lead singer." A murmur low enough for Melina to barely catch on to the words, yet enough for her to fill in the blanks with wide eyes. 

Regina's head swiftly turned to her sister in shock. Their guitarist continued, eyes still glued to the floor, "We were in a band together. All four of us. And then-" 

"Mags." A cautious call from Regina. Magdalena's eyes were unreadable. "You don't have to-"

"I need to go to the loo." Magdalena stood up and walked in the opposite direction of the bathroom, and through the front door.

Her soup grew cold.

* * *

Joanna nearly trips over a chair leg as she rushes towards their table. 

"I-" She began between breaths, "I found a few books. They're about, you know, those guys. The ones we used to be. There's quite a number of them, actually, but these ones caught my eye- the rest just might be rubbish."

Melina gazes at the three books hugged close to Joanna's chest. One author's name stands out- Peter Freestone. _Phoebe,_ as she had lovingly bestowed upon him. Warm eyes and kind smiles, one of the few who stayed until the end. The one who believed that the end wasn't really the end, and now, it seems, who is determined to show the world the truth in those words.

_You were absolutely right, Phoebe, dear. I'm back._

"Wh-Where's Magdalena?" Joanna glances at the empty spot next to Regina. 

The drummer rested her cheek against her palm as she struck a piece off of a waffle with her fork. "She went home." 

"Oh." Jo's shoulders sagged. "Well, one of the books that I got, they were written by her-um, her in the past. It's really cool. I could show it to her if she wants?" 

The fork rests on the edge of the plate with a small _clank!_ Regina's gaze falls on Magda's empty seat, which was pushed haphazardly to the side in her haste to leave that place. She sighs, an unreadable gaze hidden behind auburn blonde bangs. And Jo, poor Jo, is oblivious to the scene before her. 

"I don't think she wants to, mate." She chews on her bottom lip. "It might be-It might be too much." 

"Too much?" Jo repeats, uncertain. She follows Melina's nod and takes a seat next to the singer. 

"Too much." A grim smile settles on her lips. "It's-It's complicated. She knows- She's known it since she was ten. And-" A sharp inhale. "I really wish she hadn't." 

Melina knows the shaking of that voice. Just a few more words, and the tears may slip out. She just wants to hold Regina in her arms, and find Magdalena and pull her into their embrace, too. But, she knows that now isn't the time and place. She settles with a comforting hold on a trembling hand.

"It's not time for her to really… run into it." She offers a smile, some semblance of comfort. "It's alright." 

The hand under her grasp tightens into a fist. "No!" Regina freezes at the sharp word that just grumbled out of her throat. She takes a deep breath and softens. "No, it's not. But I've been hoping, really hoping."

A moment of silence passes, then another. 

Melina nods. "Tell you what: Once you're ready, go home and talk to your sister. Be there for her. I don't want to pressure you into joining this band, or to overwhelm you with too many reminders of the past. Take all the time you need." 

Regina squeezes her hand, a grateful glint in her eyes. "Thank you." 

She gathers her things, tosses a pound as her share for the bill despite Melina's protest that "There's no need for that!", and turns to leave when she hears-

"I'm sorry."

It was Jo, looking up at her with what Regina realizes, with a twist to her gut, is regret. She musters all the reassurance that she can give into a small smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"It's not your fault, D- Jo." 

And she leaves.

Melina turns to the young bassist, the combination of nostalgia and trepidation for the unknown setting her veins alight on fire. Jo squints her eyes in thought, just like before, trying to understand the situation. Melina smiles when she turns to her with curiosity etched on her features.

"There's a lot we'll have to catch up on."

* * *

"How much do you remember?"

It wasn't the first thing Regina expected her sister to say the moment she opened the door. And yet, here they were. 

She sighs as Magdalena lets her in. She sits down on the rumpled bed sheet. Magdalena stands before her, arms crossed, a determined look locked into her eyes. 

"They're just bits and pieces, really." Her fingers scratch against the soft fabric. "But they're enough for me to figure it all out. We- or well, past we helped start that band, then past Mel came in, changed the name to… to Queen- which I remember was something that kind of shocked us." A laugh sits at the bottom of her throat, but she keeps it at bay. Now isn't the time for laughing.

"Then past Jo came in. We got along well, until…" Her voice runs into a bump on the road; it falters. She lets the silence speak for them. 

"She doesn't know." Regina looks up at the sound of her sister's voice. "Or, at least, she doesn't remember that part." Regina realizes it- Jo still jumped and acted like the 19-year-old kid who walked into the audition room nearly a hundred years ago. If she ever knew of the later decades of their past lives, she never really showed it.

The nineteen-year-old kid in front of her now adds, "A part of me wants to keep it that way." 

"I wanted that for you, too." She insists, hushed. "It hurts you, Mags, and I don't want you to get hurt agai-"

"It's- It's just a part of me. The other part…" Magdalena shakes her head. "Ever since that day, we thought that it was always the memories that hurt. I mean, that's true, but what made it worse was… running away from it." 

She plops down next to Regina, and takes her hand. "Distancing myself from it doesn't work for me. I guess it hasn't back then, in the long run."

A few more pieces float to the surface of her mind, rearranging themselves, fitting between places she never knew had any gaps. No need to dig into them now, but she lets them wash over her as she holds on to the feelings that the past could offer.

"So, you're…" Regina has an inkling as to what her sister is getting at, but she only offers an arm around her shoulders. She needs to hear it from her. 

"So, I'm joining the band." It's curt, straight to the point. 

Nevertheless, she can't brush off the concern gnawing at her chest. "This isn't just for following in some footsteps, right?" 

"No, I'm just some biology student who plays guitar and wants to join the band." Magdalena flashes a wry smile. "And I just so happen to also be a guitarist in my past life, but that's about it. We're not the same person." 

Regina nods. "Alright."

"You're joining too, aren't you?"

"After this, yeah." She sighs. "I wouldn't do it if you didn't want to."

Magdalena narrows her eyes, astonished. "You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to. Didn't want you to be alone again." 

She laughs softly. "I was never alone." 

They stay like that, for a while. Just the murmur of passing cars and the soft breathing next to her were enough to keep Regina's ears company. 

Magdalena murmurs into her shoulder. "Who knew that we would come back as sisters?" Then she breaks into laughter. 

Regina joins in, too. Of course, it seems fate itself was determined to keep them together, no matter how many times it felt as if they would break apart. Although, maybe the fact that they overcame those bumps in the road was enough evidence for destiny-whatever it is.

Magdalena's laughter starts to melt into sobs, and Regina chokes out a "Come here" before she gathers the guitarist into her arms. The tears threaten to seep out of her, too. 

"I missed them." A small whisper to her chest. Regina just cards her fingers through those brown curls. She hums into her sister's hair, waits until the stuttered breathing evens out in rhythmic waves. She gently lays her back down on the bed, secures the ends of the blanket around her shoulders, and brushes any wayward curls away from her face. 

_Just the cat, then I'll be off._ She tells herself as she bends down to grab the orange plushie. Magdalena's guitar sits right next to it, halting her in her tracks, beckoning her gaze. It wasn't a hazard around the house anymore, never was in the first place. She supposes she was being a hypocrite, what with her returning to her past roots as a drummer. 

_Alright, you win._ She concedes after some silent argument with the guitar. 

She tucks the cat plushie into Magdalena's arms, before she presses a soft kiss to her forehead. Regina can't bring herself to leave, right now, so she turns around to type out one quick text to Melina on the bedside table.

_We're ok._

And she closes her eyes.

* * *

They open the door to a gleeful Melina. 

"Oh, you came!" She exclaims, stepping aside and pulling the door back to let the sisters in. 

Magdalena wastes no time in stepping forward and pulling her into a warm embrace. "Hello." 

"Hi!" Melina returns it with equal vigor. She casts a knowing, gleeful look in Regina's way. 

Once they pull away, she flourishes a hand towards the room. "I've called in a favor with the owner, and he allowed us to make this our permanent band room." 

The only change in the room was the electric piano set up in the far corner. It feels like home, in a way. Another memory shuffles into place in Regina's mind. A poster on a bulletin board, another room with squeaky-clean tiles, two figures- Back then a sense of nervousness prickled down the drummer's skin, but that was nothing compared to the confidence that coursed through those veins. A hand reaches across a hundred years, and lets that surge of confidence flow through her once again. 

_At least this time I already got the gig._ She thinks to herself as she exchanges glances with Magdalena. The guitarist smiles before she sets her case down on the floor. The sound of the zip ripping through polyester fills the air.

"I really wanted to bring a grand piano to this room. They didn't let me do it for some reason." Melina sighs. "I'm much more comfortable with them than… that." 

Her eyes narrow at the electric piano, but they soften at the woman standing over it, testing out every type of sound by gingerly tapping the plastic keys, an awed glaze cast over her eyes. "Luckily someone has offered to help me ease into it."

It takes a few seconds before Jo looks up and notices their presence. "Oh! Hey guys." 

There's a skip to her step as she walks towards them, an equal match to the giddy, nervous smile on her face. The nervousness almost overtakes her smile when she turns to Maggie. "I'm really sorry for upsetting you yesterday. I know you don't like the whole memory thing, and we… pretty much pushed you into it." 

Maggie simply wraps her arms around her, the smile never fading from her lips. "It's alright, Jo. You didn't know. Besides, I think I should have told everyone from the start. But, it's not as bad as before, not anymore." 

Jo's eyes widen, and she returns the hug fiercely, nearly squeezing tight. 

"So," Maggie leans back and turns to their fellow bandmates. "How do we do this?"

"We play." Melina's confident reply is all they needed to hear.

Something electric fizzles in the air, sharp, spontaneous. Adrenaline pumps through Regina's veins as she takes a seat behind her drum kit, her eyes surveying the different tools that unleashed a symphony of magic into the air. She nods encouragingly at the guitarists' direction. Maggie runs her fingers across the strings of her guitar, and returns a determined grin. Jo adjusts the strap of her bass with a jump, channelling all that joy into a blinding smile. 

And Melina, she twirls the microphone in her hands, her feet caught up in that confident waltz across the tiled floor. She nods back.

_Best seat in the house._ The words float to her head. 

That was no lie, and she was damn sure of that.


End file.
